Again?
by thatblue
Summary: The Doctor and Donna have found themselves in another jail cell and Donna isn't happy.
1. Chapter 1

**This may come as a surprise, but I don't own Doctor Who. I mostly wrote this because it was in my head.**

"I'll have you know," Donna told him, though her back was to his, "I was never arrested before I met you."

She didn't have to see the Doctor to know that he smiled, "That must have been very boring."

"Yes, very boring," she replied her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"It's a good thing I bring the entertainment," the Doctor told her.

Donna sighed loudly enough for him to know that while she was frustrated she wasn't angry. He did keep her entertained in a run for your life, and hey we are in another prison on some trumped up charge, kind of way. She actually didn't hate the being trapped in a cell with him but she didn't like not being able to see his face. Some part of her, that she wasn't really willing to examine, liked it when they were forced to be this close. It gave her an excuse to touch him.

"So what are we in here for," Donna asked him after a long pause, which made her think the Doctor must be thinking.

"I'm not entirely sure; they speak very fast here, and use improper sentence structure. I mean if you are going to speak to strangers you should at least use the correct tense."

Donna shook her head but didn't laugh like she wanted. He hadn't answered her question exactly but sometimes that was how things went with him. And really, if they didn't have to shag-or-die or just die, she supposed it didn't really matter.

"Yes," Donna agreed, "It's very awful when you don't have a clue what someone is going on about."

"It is…are you referring to me, Donna?"

She smiled though he couldn't see it. "It's a real possibility."

"I can't help it that sometimes I speak a little…"

"Fast, in terms that no one outside of your species understands, I can go on."

"You're not being nice," she could hear the pout but he also sounded like she actually had hurt him a little.

He was so good to her, and he had, to his credit, tried to speak in a way she would understand. He really couldn't help it if his brain held so much that it exploded out of him.

"I'm sorry, Doctor."

"Oh, it's okay," he told her bouncing back easily. "Anyway back to your question, as best as I can tell, we are here because we looked too happy."

"They have a law against looking happy," she shook her head. She was never going to understand other planets laws.

"No," he corrected, "Just looking too happy."

Donna didn't have a good response to that, as she couldn't wrap her mind about someone not wanting to be happy. She really was happy when she was with the Doctor and they had been holding hands and joking. And the locals did frown a lot so she could understand how they would have stood out in the crowd. Still to make it a law seemed a bit extreme.

"So how are we going to get out of here?"

"Unless you can get into my jacket pocket we aren't," he told her, sounding oddly calm about it.

"I'm a bit tied up," Donna responded.

"Me too," he agreed. "I wish I could see you," he admitted softly. "That always makes these stays bearable."

"Oh, Doctor," she responded, as he reflected her thoughts.

And then as if someone had heard their statement the chairs they were chained to turned to face each other and their knees were touching. Donna pulled against her restraints but they were still snug behind her back so she just looked to the Doctor. His hair was wild and going in several different directions but she found that it kind of suited him.

"Hi," he told her.

"Hi, yourself," she was so thankful to see his face again. She didn't worry when he was near and though he had been behind her back she felt like he was lost.

"What's the punishment for said offence," she asked him. "Or do I want to know. I told you if you take me to one of those planets on the excuse to sleep with me, I'd chop off something you like."

The Doctor had the sense to look scared. "I don't think that this is "one of those planets" but it has been some time since I have been here." Donna glared but she realized that she probably wouldn't be real upset if it happened. But she would never tell him that.

They both looked up when the cell door opened and one of their captors stepped into the room. It was humanoid in the loosest sense of the word and he ignored Donna speaking only to the Doctor. And the Doctor was right, the TARDIS was translating but the words still didn't make sense. She was thankful she had a great big Time-Lord brain across from her, or she would never know what was going on. After a few more words, in what she was pretty sure was past tense, they were left alone again.

The Doctor was making a face, and she felt the worry rise. This was one of those planets, and she was going to have to perform in front of some aliens freaks. What was wrong with other planets, really she couldn't understand.

"Don't worry," the Doctor broke through her thoughts. "It's not like that, though I'm not sure it is much better. Although we have two options to choose from."

"So what are they," she just wanted to do them and get back to the TARDIS. The humidity on this planet was making her uncomfortable. Yes, that's it, it was the humidity.

"I'd rather not tell you," he admitted.

"Doctor!"

He frowned at her but seemed to know that he was going to have to say the words at some point if they were ever going to have to leave. "Okay, option one is we get stoned by the town for eight hours."

"Stoned?"

He gave a small shrug, "It's actually not really being stoned, and that's just what they call it. Murder isn't legal so they put up a force field, though why they still use rocks I don't understand. Anyway, it's more like getting hit with a pillow, over and over."

"That doesn't sound awful," Donna told him, not great but not awful.

"We have to be naked," the Doctor informed her.

"What?"

"It's not my fault that other species are…"

"Freaky?"

"That's a word," the Doctor told her.

"So option two," there was no way she was going to be naked in the middle of town for eight hours.

He sighed. "I don't want to say."

"Well you have to, so get it over with."

"We have to put on their equivalent of a play, for the king."

"Oh."

"Naked," the Doctor said with a swallow.

"What is wrong with these aliens?"

"They want us to be unhappy, and they apparently know that one way to accomplish that is to cause embarrassment."

"Well, it's working, I'm unhappy."


	2. Chapter 2

**I apologize for any weirdness. I just sit down and type what comes out.**

When the guards came to get them they both went without fighting. They had decided on the play but neither was happy about the fact they had to be naked. And even worse than that, according to his Donna, was that they were going to have to talk like them.

They entered a large room, with a risen stage, that was mercifully almost empty. There were a couple of guards who looked like they didn't want to be there either, and then what had to be the King, sitting on his throne. And the only other person there was a young girl who was trying to hand the King a cup, but he wasn't making it easy on her. The King gave her a sharp look and motioned for him and Donna to approach him.

"You understand the charges," the King spoke and the Doctor was surprised how well the words came out.

"Understand?" Donna asked, sharply.

The Doctor shook his head at her and she closed her mouth but extended her glare to him. "We understand. But I won't do this in front of the child."

The Kings surprise was evident, "What child?"

The Doctor pointed to the girl standing next to the King, not making eye contact with anyone.

The King looked at her, and brushed it off. "She's not a child."

The Doctor couldn't argue. He really had no idea what age she was, due to different lengths of years, and time being relative but that wasn't the real reason for the argument. He only said that to make the King pay attention and to get the girl to look at him, both of which he had accomplished. One look in her eyes confirmed what he had only been assuming when he had heard the language that had fallen from her lips.

"How would you know," the Doctor asked, anger growing. "You can't understand anything she says." The last bit came out more of a growl but when he felt the fear from the girl touch the air around him, he pulled back.

"No," the King conceded. "I don't recognize the language, but I hardly see why that matters."

"Oh, but it does."

And it did, because those words were far too precious to not be known. They were a beautiful song he hadn't heard since before the end of the Time War, when the planet of Cosmo was destroyed. The inhabitants were a race of humanoids with the most amazing potential to be a deadly force, but were more peaceful than most other species. And they were wiped out two years before the end of the war, innocent bystanders removed from existence, save for the one standing so close. And those words, too old, too proper, for even the TARDIS to translate were the closest to home that he was going to get.

"I don't understand them either," Donna told him softly.

He turned to her and smiled reassuringly. It wasn't her fault, and he knew that she must be confused by the sudden change of events. He had never dreamed he would ever see a child of Cosmo again, and now that he had he felt joy that he couldn't fight. "It's not easy for the TARDIS to translate," he told her softly, "It's an extinct language."

"Not entirely," she told him with a small smile, always quick to catch on to what was important.

"No," he agreed turning back to the girl.

She was looking at him with eyes that went beyond the language to confirm what and who she really was. Every Cosmoian was born with three things that made them a force to be reckoned with. The first was the eyes, always the perfect color, perfect shade, with a little swirl here, a speck there and the results were something so beautiful you were mesmerized. Hers were green, but that was too simple of a word to do them justice. The second was their voice, when used with intent; they might as well have been Sirens. And the last, as if the first left any room for refusing, was Projected Emotions.

And this girl didn't have to be here. She could have made this planet hers, could have torn her way across the universe but she didn't.

"Din Lik,"(Hello)

"Din Lik," she replied softly, and he could hear the restraint on the melody of the words. He knew that if she let it loose, even he might not be able to resist.

"Earth," he asked. The Cosmoians were the closest to the Time Lords that you could get and she was smart. Hopefully, enough to know that he wanted her to pick a language of Earth so that Donna could understand but the King couldn't.

"Yes," she told him.

Any language, but she had picked English and she gave a smile to Donna, who returned it easily.

"I'm the Doctor, and this is Donna. What's your name?"

"Nove," she told him. "Time Lord?"

"Yes," he didn't know if she would have been able to tell.

"Any others?"

He shook his head, and knew that she knew what it felt like to be alone. "I'm the last."

She bit her lip, "Me too."

"Were you there?"

It was her turn to shake her head, "My father survived. Took me with him."

"How old are you?"

"103."

There were no regenerations for them, but they did have an amazing ability to heal, and very long lives. She could outlive him if she were careful.

"I think you have a play to put on," the King interrupted, and the Doctor could hear his frustration at not being included in the conversation.

"No," the Doctor told him. "I have some talking to do, and then when I am done, we will do your play."

Nove rolled her eyes to the King, and the Doctor wondered if she was about to use force but when the King looked at him his eyes were clear. "Fine, guards take them to their cell, the servant can go with them if that's what they want."

The guards grabbed Nove roughly but didn't touch the Doctor or Donna. "Don't hurt her," Donna told the guard fiercely.

"I'm fine," Nove smiled at Donna brightly, and she wiggled in the guard's tight grasp and he loosened it slightly.

When they got to the cell though he shoved Nove in with force, but when the door was closed the Doctor leaned down to help her up.

"You don't have to be here," he told her softly.

"Sure I do," she responded easily.

"Can someone explain this to me," Donna asked suddenly.

So they all took a seat, unrestrained this time, and the Doctor filled Donna in while Nove sat quietly.


	3. Chapter 3

When everything was explained, at least everything the Doctor knew he looked back at Nove, who looking at the floor.

"Which leaves us to why you are here?"

"I'm fulfilling a debt. Not to that…him…" she referred to the King. "To his father, he hid my Father and I till the end of the Time War."

"Do you remember what happened?" The Doctor asked her, hoping that she was too young to know all the bad that occurred in the final days.

"I was three days old when we escaped. My Mom gave her life giving us the chance to escape."

"Where's your father?" The Doctor asked her, hating to add to her pain.

"He died a year ago," she said softly.

"I'm so sorry," the Doctor told her. He didn't asked what caused it but knew that there would have to be a great act to push them past the ability to heal.

"Never mind me," she smiled, and he felt a little light headed. "Why are you here?"

He imagined the question was less about them being in the jail and more him still being here after the Time War. He found himself falling in the depths of her eyes and he forced himself to look away. He didn't think she was doing it on purpose; she seemed to notice his discomfort, or really too much comfort, and look at the wall.

"I survived," he said but didn't explain.

She didn't ask him to either. "Dad always said we couldn't be the only ones. I was beginning to think that he was wrong."

He didn't know why he did it but he spoke to her in Gallifreyan and she smiled brightly. Her answer was perfect, and he felt a sense of connection he hadn't felt in so long. She knew what it was like to be the last one and have no one there to share those words with.

Donna smiled at him patiently, seeming to understand the need, even if she didn't know the language.

"How long until this debt is paid," Donna asked Nove.

Nove looked down and the Doctor realized that it already was paid. That she was staying because she had nothing to leave for, but he could give her the way out.

"You don't have to stay," he told her softly reaching for her hand, which she allowed.

At the touch he felt every emotion fall through into his mind. He saw, though she was building walls as fast as she could, every heartbreak she felt. And he could see how much she wanted to leave this place, but didn't know why she should bother. He could give her a reason, but he wasn't sure if it would be enough.

"Why can't she come with us," Donna asked from his side.

"She can," he told Nove. "Please, you can come with us. Or if you just want a ride, I'll take you anywhere you like."

"Where would I go?"

"You don't have to be alone," he pleaded with her, knowing all too well what it was like when he was all alone.

"I'm dangerous," she told him softly.

"No," he shook his head. "You have the potential. The big difference between those two is action. I know what you are capable of, and it is so much more than giving that King his drinks."

"How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"All of it, facing everyday like you haven't lost everything, your planet, your family, your everything?"

"Because I haven't," he told her and looked to Donna. "I mean yes, the planet and family, and all that I knew but that isn't everything. There is more out there, and you know it in your heart. I've made new friends, found new love, made a new family." He looked away from Donna who was giving him a curious look. So he hadn't told her that he loved her exactly, but he was certain that she knew that he meant her with those words.

"Does it make it better," she asked, heartbreak evident but so was the strength.

"Yes," he nodded. It was his turn to use their connection. He showed her joy, every moment he could bring to the surface. She let the tears fall freely.

"I want that," she told him.

Donna stood and moved to her pulling her into a hug. "Let us help you."

Nove nodded into Donna's embrace.

The cell opened and a guard stepped in and informed Nove that she was needed by the King.

"You don't have to go," Donna told her but Nove smiled.

"No worries," she told her. "Soon, I can see all that beauty?" She asked the Doctor.

"Yes, anything."

She nodded. "See you soon."

With that she left the room, and the Doctor and Donna waited. He knew that they would be expected to put on the play before they left, but suddenly that seemed more than worth it. He turned to Donna, who was watching him.

"New love?"

Didn't miss a thing, her. "Yes, I realize that maybe that wasn't the best way for you to find out."

She laughed. "No, that seems like it fits right in our life. I love you too, spaceman. And I would be happy to have Nove with us on our adventure."

"I couldn't love you more," he told her softly taking her hand. "And I have never felt alone with you at my side. I don't need her to make my life complete. I want you to know that."

"I know," she told him gently. "But that doesn't mean that she can't become part of this family."

"I think that it'll be fantastic."

"I know that it will," she told him and leaned in for a kiss.

It was another hour before they came to tell them that their presence was wanted before the king. They smiled at each other, knowing that soon this would be over and they would be on their way- One more traveler on this amazing adventure. He smelled the blood before he even walked into the room. It wasn't human though, and he felt his hearts break. It was Nove, the blood smelling so much different than any other species. It too was a sweet smell.

He burst through the doors and saw her laying on the stage, blood dripping slowly off the sides and she was unmoving.

"What have you done," he yelled at the King who was smiling.

He didn't know the anger he had just brought upon himself. Donna was already climbing up on the stage, and reaching down to Nove.

"Don't touch her," he told her softly.

Donna looked at him, "Sorry."

"No," he shook his head, knowing that his anger was coming out towards her too. "You didn't do anything wrong. She can't heal if she is touched. It interrupts the process."

He turned to the King, "Why?"

"She thought she could just leave, I proved her wrong."


	4. Chapter 4

The Doctor ignored the King for the time being, his anger almost too much to control. He needed a moment. He climbed up on the stage and sat down near Nove who wasn't moving. He watched her chest carefully, and he could see only the shallowest of breathing. This was all his fault, if he hadn't have come she never would have been hurt.

Donna sat down next to him and pulled him into her arms. "You said she could heal?"

"Maybe," he told her softly. "If it's not too much."

"She seems strong, I'm sure that she will."

The Doctor nodded. It wouldn't take long to find out the truth. A couple of minutes were all it usually took for all injuries to be taken care of but she wasn't giving any indication that she was healing.

"She won't," the King told him, though he had the sense to seem scared now.

The Doctor looked up at him, tears filling his eyes. He supposed the news wasn't shocking, she wasn't moving at all, and the blood was still flowing. But he didn't want to believe it.

"Why?" He asked again, his voice thick.

"Stabbed her in the heart, clean through."

That wasn't what the Doctor was asking but he didn't have it in him to push. He waited with her until her breathing stopped and then he moved to her side and pulled her into his arms. With her lying in his lap, he saw the faces of every other person he wasn't able to save.

He had found last child of Cosmo, and lost her in the same day. Just like some day he would be gone, and the last of Gallifrey would die with him.

Even the last has to end at some point. Donna was making her way over to the King, and he looked up at her, knowing she was trying to help him. "He's not worth it."

Donna looked between the two, and then she walked over to the guard and whispered something into his ear. He looked at her and then to the stage, and when he nodded, Donna turned and walked back to the Doctor.

Time slowed as he told her still form how sorry he was, and a million other things that he would have told her or shown her had she lived. He heard commotion in the direction of the King but didn't look up, anger drowning in sorrow.

He didn't stop speaking until Donna touched his shoulder. "We need to go, Doctor. Things are going to get a little dangerous."

He looked up at her and nodded. "What should I do with her?"

"Her father is buried out back," a guard spoke to them, his words clear and correct.

The Doctor nodded and pulling her up with him he walked until he reached the marker. Donna stayed by his side while he laid her in the ground and covered her.

"I'm going to say a few words, spaceman," she told him and waited for him to nod.

"Nove, I didn't get to know you well, but I know that you were amazing. And this isn't fair, but you know that life isn't fair. It takes so much, and it took you, but it also gives too. It gave you the chance to know, even for a brief moment that you weren't alone. And it gave two people the knowledge of you, and we can carry that with us. Pass it on to others, and all that you were doesn't have to be lost. Rest now, child. Find all that beauty."

The Doctor found a smile for her, and he offered his hand. With a final look at the grave he walked away with Donna at his side.

When they reached the TARDIS he sent them into the vortex and smiled at Donna and walked to his room without a word.

He had every intention of letting sorrow win, and blaming himself for her death. If he hadn't come, she would still be there now. But all who touched him crumbled in the end, and he couldn't be around Donna at this moment. How long till she was another causality of him?

He didn't hear the door open, but he heard her voice soft at sky. "That wasn't your fault. I know what you think, but you have been around too long not to see that sometimes we don't get to pick what happens. Sometimes that choice is taken away, either by a king, or another world."

"If I hadn't showed up Donna…" he tried.

"Then she would have thought she was alone for ever. You saw how happy she was when she left that room. That's what you do Doctor. Don't you see?" 

"See what?"

Donna sat next to him on the bed and he pulled her to him in a tight embrace. "You don't destroy lives, you make them better. For all the plans the universe has, you don't let it take without helping first."

"I don't think I'm near as good as your describing Donna." He told her softly.

"You're better than I'm describing. And before you argue, I know that you have done things you aren't proud of, but so have I. So has everyone out there. But you have also done so much good. And if her last thought was of freedom and being loved, then there was no greater gift you could have given her."

He looked at her carefully, "Would it be worth it for you?"

"Would what?"

"Loving me?"

She gave him a sad smile, but her words were sincere. "Yes. I don't care what comes, as long as I get the chance to love you while the chance is there."

"I love you, Donna," he told her tears falling again. "I never want to hurt you."

"Death doesn't scare me," she argued. "Losing you does though."

"Then don't" he told her and kissed her lips gently. "Stay forever."


End file.
